Johnny Harvel, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Harvel of this city, died at the Concord Hospital yesterday afternoon from wounds he received Saturday afternoon, when accidentally shot by his cousin, Robert Pruett.
Pruett was examined by a coroner’s jury last night and exonerated when he and several other witnesses told the jury the shooting was accidental.
The shooting occurred near Midland Saturday afternoon. Harvel, Pruett and two other young men having gone there to hunt in the land of Runn Barbee, friend of the Harvel family. The shooting was witnessed by Sylvester Barbee the others in the party being absent when the tragedy occurred.
According to testimony to the jury, Barbee Pruett and Harvel sat down on the bank of a discarded road to rest after hunting several hours. While sitting there Harvel asked Pruett to loan him his pistol for target practice, and Pruett did so, after telling Harvel that he had only three cartridges and not to waste them.
Harvel shot twice, it was said, then pitched the gun to Pruett. Later, when Harvel started to drink water from a hole, Pruett warned him against it and shot into the hole. Harvel then walked across a meadow to some learn water and while returning was shot.
While walking across the meadow, the jury was told, Harvel went through military drill with Pruett giving commands, “Right,” “Left,” “Halt,” were the commands. Each time he said halt, Prutt snapped his pistol at Harvel. When Harvel got within two yards of Pruett, the latter snapped his gun at him again, this time responding with the bullet that penetrated Harvel’s stomach.
Harvel was rushed to the Concord Hospital where an operation was performed but attending physicians never entertained more than a fighting chance for his recovery.
The deceased was 20 years of age and is survived by his parents, and three sisters, Dorothy, Violet ad Shirley Harvel. Funeral services were held this afternoon at Meadow Creek and interment made in the cemetery there.
Pruett was very nervous when questioned by the coroner’s jury, breaking into sobs when asked if he and Harvel had any cross words during the day. “He was my best friend,” he replied between sobs. “I’ll never have another friend as good as Johnny.”
Harvel came to Concord several days ago to secure work in a textile plant. He spent the summer in Charlotte working as a carpenter, but returned to Concord to secure inside work during the winter.
The jury summoned by the Coroner Hartsell for the inquest held last night in the Wilkinson Funeral Home was composed of L.D. Coltrane, Boyd Biggers, Tom Hendrix, D.A. Meis. E.F. Shepherd and W.M. Sherrill.
From page 2 of The Daily Tribune, Monday, Nov. 23, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-11-23/ed-1/seq-2/
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